Annie Duke

Annie Duke is an American former professional poker player. She is a 2004 WSOP gold bracelet holder, She played poker for almost two decades, Duke was a familiar face during and after the poker boom of 2003, she appeared on TV shows such as Poker After Dark.

Annie Duke: Early Life

Anne LaBarr Lederer grew up in Hampshire with her parents. Her parents were both playing cards and got an early exposure from an early age. She was from a family that had a huge interest in poker. Annie was formally introduced to poker by her brother, Howard, who was already a professional poker player at that time. 

Obtaining a double major in English and Psychology at Columbia University. She pursued her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, highlighting cognitive linguistics and “syntactic bootstrapping”.

In 1992, she tied the knot with Ben Duke, the grandson of Ambassador Angier Biddle Duke. They have four children, and they raised them in Hollywood Hills, California.

Annie Duke: Poker Career

She started playing tournaments in 1994 at the Queens Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. This event was the $330 7 Card Stud which had50 entries. She finished 8th and won just over $450. She debuted her poker career this year with an impressive performance, mostly finishing in the top 10. Duke became well known for her high-profile achievements in WSOP.

In 1999, she managed to win her first-ever six-figure win after finishing second in a $5,000 WSOP event.

She claimed her first and only WSOP bracelet in 2004 in the Omaha Hi-Lo tournament and won approximately $138,000. This was her key to opening the door at the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions. Duke was up against the biggest players, namely Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, David “Chip” Reese, Johnny Chan, and even her own brother, Howard Lederer. Annie Duke was the top money earner for women at the WSOP, with over $650k and collectively 25 cashes at the moment she entered the 2010 NBC Heads-Up Championship, and ended up winning it. taking home $500,000, soon after Duke landed a sponsorship from Ultimate Bet.

As of today, her Total Live Earnings are $4,270,548, with a best live cash of $2,000,000.

Conclusion

Annie’s poker career was cut short because of the Ultimate Bet scandal. In 2010, many in the online poker community raised their concerns about cheating and tolerance in addition to the actual participation of ambassadors. Although there was no direct evidence linking Annie Duke to this, this tainted her playing career. She was last seen in 2011, participating in the 2011–12 Poker League Charity Event in Las Vegas.

Annie Duke’s life after poker was focused on writing books. She produced books related to poker and something related to the degree she finished. She became an author and a keynote speaker. Some of her published books include Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts. 

Annie’s work helped her build another impressive career as a motivational speaker. She travels the world to deliver speeches.